


un long week-end

by wasthatreallyme



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Art, Ballet, Edging, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Lena Luthor Finds Out Kara Danvers is Supergirl, Light Angst, Oblivious Lena Luthor, POV Lena Luthor, Paris (City), Pastries, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:21:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27328732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wasthatreallyme/pseuds/wasthatreallyme
Summary: Set after 2x12.  Lena impulsively invites Kara on a long weekend in Paris.  She starts to suspect that Kara might be Supergirl, which only makes her realize her attraction to her best friend.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 125
Kudos: 725





	1. Chapter 1

Lena was late. 

The Rolls Royce was an armored jewel box, gliding slowly down the street. She tapped her fingers impatiently on the leather armrest as she willed the traffic to move faster.

Typically Jess and a team of project managers made sure her life ran on time to the minute. But she had been trying to get a deal over the line, and the other company had come back with some last minute terms. And that had meant pushing everything back thirty minutes, then an hour, then two hours before her team had finished negotiating. 

And now she was stuck at the tail end of rush hour, on her way to meet Kara Danvers, her only friend in National City, for very delayed after-work drinks on a Friday night.

Their friendship had been a surprising development. Lena didn’t really make friends; she could count hers on one hand. Two fingers, actually: Sam and Kara. Sam had started as a professional relationship, with hard-won trust that had built over many late nights working together. But Kara had been a breath of fresh air - someone Lena had been drawn to since their very first meeting. 

Kara was smart and unpretentious and funny, radiating a sweetness that was rare in the cut-throat and transactional business, social, and academic worlds Lena was a part of. 

And Kara had been the only person who had believed in her innocence when Lena had been accused of helping Lillian escape. That support had meant the world. 

So whenever Kara stopped by her office, Lena was happy to take a short break, especially given her typical sixteen-hour days. And she looked forward to getting lunch or dinner with Kara, or occasionally dropping by a game night. And she was really looking forward to seeing Kara tonight, because it had been over two weeks since they had last seen each other.

The car pulled up in front of the restaurant and Lena quickly checked her hair and touched up her makeup in case there were photographers. She straightened her blouse and pencil skirt, slipped her heels back on, and put on a smile as Frank opened the door for her. But fortunately, there weren’t any flashbulbs as she got out of the car and followed Derek, her bodyguard, inside what appeared to be a small neighborhood tapas bar. Lena had asked for low-key and Jess had delivered yet again. 

Lena brushed past a few couples waiting at the hostess stand and spotted Kara at a table near the brick wall at the back. Kara also looked like she had come straight from work, wearing a belted dress and a blazer, her hair half up. She was giggling to herself as she watched something on her phone. 

“Kara, I’m so sorry,” Lena said, walking up to the table, her stilettos clacking on the hardwood floors. “My meeting ran way over.”

As Kara looked up from her phone, she broke into a smile and practically jumped out of her chair to give Lena a hug. 

“Oh, hey! I’ve missed you, Lena!”

Lena stiffened slightly before hugging Kara back. The Luthors had never been physically demonstrative people, whereas for Kara, it seemed so natural to connect that way - a hug here, a squeeze there. Lena was getting more used to it.

Kara said enthusiastically, “You have got to see this!” She handed her phone over and they sat down.

Probably a cat video, Lena guessed. She now expected to get texts at all hours with videos of hamsters eating tiny burritos, puppies bouncing on trampolines, and the like. 

This one was of baby otters floating on their backs and holding hands. 

It was cute. Very cute.

Lena felt the tension of the day drain away. 

She handed the phone back. “How do you find time to look at these?”

“Uh, how do you _not_?” Kara retorted, smiling.

Lena laughed. “Touché. Anyway, I hope you weren’t waiting long.”

“Jess let me know you were running late so I only got here ten minutes ago. I ordered some small plates, hope that’s ok!” 

“Of course. You’re so efficient.”

“No, just hungry!” Kara grinned at her. “I’m kind of glad your meeting ran over, the food here looks delicious!”

Lena opened the wine list and looked it over. “So, how are you, Kara? I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

“Nothing to report! My life is boring.” Kara said, good-naturedly. “There was game night - we missed you! - and I wrote a few articles, and Alex and Maggie and I went bowling last weekend. Oh!” Her eyes sparkled with excitement, “We tried this new Asian ice cream shop by the bowling alley! They had milk tea and red bean and matcha and chai… it was so good! We have to go sometime! But... you’re the one who just got back from Asia - how was it?”

Lena had just come back from a ten-day business trip to Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Seoul. It had been her first trip to L-Corp’s Asian offices since she had taken over as CEO and she had met the teams and conducted strategic reviews of all of their interests in the region. She was happy to be back. 

She took a sip of water. “It was good. Fortunately, I don’t have to go for another quarter at least.”

“Yes, _so_ fortunate to not have to travel internationally,” Kara said dryly. 

Lena arched an eyebrow. Kara never missed an opportunity to tease her. It was something Lena had come to love about her friend. So many people were overly deferential with her, especially now that she was a CEO. But with Kara, it was impossible for Lena to take herself seriously.

“Hey! These trips are work. I’m in conference rooms all day, and they usually only let me out at night to attend a formal dinner, and even then I have to smile and nod… it’s torture.”

It really was; Lena was an introvert, and making conversation for hours with strangers while jet lagged took its toll. Especially at official dinners, where she knew she had to make a good impression on behalf of her company. But thanks to years of ballet and chess, and powering through her grueling degrees at MIT, she could smile through the stress and the sleep deprivation, and even turn on the charm.

Kara made a face. “Yeah, that doesn’t sound very fun at all. I hope you can rest up this weekend?”

“We’ll see. I doubt it… we have a board meeting next Thursday and I’m worried about our earnings this quarter.”

The waiter came by their table, and Lena ordered a glass of wine and a few more small plates. 

When he left, Kara looked at her, concerned. “Hey, so I know there’s always more to do, but don’t you need a break once in a while? When was your last vacation?”

Lena looked down. A break would certainly be welcome, but she’d been at the helm of L-Corp for less than a year.

“I don’t remember. Definitely before I became CEO. But Kara,” she lowered her voice, “I was just exonerated. It wouldn’t send a good message to my team if I take a week off this soon. I can’t be seen as cracking under the pressure.”

Kara said gently, “I get that. But you need to take care of yourself too or you’re going to burn out, and then where will L-Corp be? Maybe we should have an early night so you can get some sleep?”

As tired as she was, Lena didn’t want to have an early night. She had been working so much, it was nice to see a friendly face.

“Well, you know what they say: _I’ll sleep when I’m dead_ ,” she said ruefully.

“Whoever said that was crazy!” Kara scoffed. “Naps are the best thing ever! My perfect day would have at least two. But Lena, I’m serious. I’m worried about you.”

Lena was surprisingly touched; she couldn’t remember the last time someone told her she needed to slow down for her own good. Everybody else seemed to want her to be doing more, herself included.

“I’ll think about it, Kara. What would you do if you were me?”

“Well,” Kara said eagerly, “if I had a week, I would totally go to France and eat a million croissants. And go see some Impressionist art, and wander around a garden... I’ve read a lot about Paris from my art history classes but have never been, but maybe someday! Anyway… if you can’t take a week, Lena, how about at least a long weekend? Three days somewhere - a change of scene?”

Hearing Kara talk so enthusiastically about Paris sparked something in Lena. Lionel had taken her once a year starting when she was seven, so she knew the city fairly well. But although she had a house in the 8th arrondissement, she hadn’t been for the past two years, because trying to keep a handle on Lex’s deepening madness, and then dealing with his trial and the aftermath, had made it impossible to leave Metropolis. And since then, L-Corp had taken all her time.

Maybe Kara was right. A long weekend might be exactly what she needed. 

“We should go,” she found herself saying.

“What?” Kara’s brow furrowed. “Where?”

Lena wasn’t quite sure what had possessed her to say that. She had never been to Paris with anybody except Lionel. But as she turned the idea over in her mind, she decided it would be nice to go with a friend, instead of taking another trip by herself.

“To Paris,” Lena said. “I could probably swing a long weekend right after the board meeting.”

Kara seemed dumbfounded. “You want _me_ to go? With _you_?”

After months of being heads down on L-Corp - not to mention surviving a kidnapping - Lena was suddenly taken with the idea of doing something so spontaneous and… irresponsible. She was also enjoying throwing Kara off-balance after being the object of her concern.

“That’s what _‘we’_ means, Kara,” she said, almost smugly. “Well, why not?”

Kara stared at Lena, her expression inscrutable. Then she said, practically, “That’s in, like, six days, Lena!”

“Do you have a passport?”

“Uh, yes.”

“Then we should be good. I have a place in Paris, and we can take the plane.”

Kara shook her head, laughing. “Sometimes I forget how rich you are, Lena.”

Lena smiled and said nothing. It was her standard response when anybody brought up her wealth; it took all the air out of the topic and usually people would move on.

But Kara spoke after a few moments. “It’s very generous of you, Lena,” she said slowly, “but, if we’re going to go somewhere together, I’d rather we do something we both can afford. Why don’t we go camping or find somewhere around here?”

Lena knew very few people who would hesitate to take a free trip to Paris. But this once again demonstrated how special Kara was. Kara had never asked her for anything, except for the occasional interview or off-the-record tip. Lena hadn’t once felt like she was being used.

“Kara, I think I’m going to go anyway - because you’re right, I do need a break. And then it isn’t any additional cost to have you along.”

Kara tilted her head, looking thoughtful. 

Lena pressed her case. “And Paris has such wonderful museums. And if you want to see the Impressionists, there’s the Museé d’Orsay. Or the Marmottan Monet. Or they might have a special exhibition at the Grand Palais… I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend.”

Kara’s expression turned dreamy. She seemed to be wavering. “No... neither can I. But are you sure?”

“Yes. One hundred percent. It was a good suggestion, Kara. I’m thankful you’re looking out for me.”

“Not at all!” Kara said. “But... I need to make sure I can take the time off. I can let you know on Monday? And Lena, you know this is extra!”

Maybe it was. But what was the point of being a billionaire if she couldn’t be ‘extra’ occasionally, like buying out a flower shop to thank Kara for a favorable article when a bouquet would do?

Lena winked. “Want to make a list of things you want to do? I can ask Jess to start making arrangements.”

Kara frowned and she took a sip of water.

“Uh… so... how do you like to travel, Lena?” she said nervously. “Alex and I backpacked around Italy after she graduated from university, and by the end of the trip, she was ready to strangle me. She had every single hour planned out and I was…”

“Late to everything?” Lena said knowingly.

“Uh, yeah…” Kara grimaced a little. “I’d get caught up in whatever we were doing and didn’t want to go on to the next thing, and Alex was so mad at me...”

“Oh Kara,” Lena said sympathetically, picturing the Danvers sisters fighting in front of some fountain in Rome, or more accurately, Alex dressing Kara down. She had only met Alex a couple times, but from what she’d seen, the elder Danvers was formidable.

The waiter came by with Lena’s wine and the first plates. Kara immediately popped a few croquetas into her mouth. As she chewed, she said softly, “I guess, I don’t want you to hate me by the end of the weekend.”

There was no way, Lena thought, that she could ever hate Kara. But it was astute of Kara to think about their styles in advance, as they actually hadn’t spent that much time together - mostly meals here and there. Lena was more like Alex - armed with a plan, wanting to make the most of every day, and therefore mapping everything out in advance. But maybe this time, she could make an exception.

“Ok, how about this,” she proposed, “why don’t we each pick one or two things we really want to do, and make sure we’re on time for those? And dinners. We should have reservations, or we might not be able to get a table. Let me handle that. And then the rest of the time we can play by ear?”

Kara looked relieved. “That sounds great, Lena! What’s your pick?”

Lena smiled. “I have a love-hate relationship with ballet, but the Paris Opera Ballet is one of the best companies in the world, and the opera house is the most amazing building I’ve ever seen, so that’s probably mine...”

They spent the rest of the meal talking about all the things they might do in Paris. It was a special city for Lena, the place of some rare happy childhood memories - drinking hot chocolate in a cafe while Lionel read his newspaper, pushing toy sailboats around the basin of the Jardin du Luxembourg. The city was like a well-worn book she could take down from her shelf and re-read, comforting in its familiarity. And she found herself growing more and more excited about seeing it anew through Kara’s eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

“Kara, we’re here,” Lena said as the Mercedes entered the cobblestone courtyard of an imposing limestone-clad mansion that took up most of a quiet street. 

Kara had been fidgeting in the car the entire way in from Le Bourget, a big smile on her face. Lena had been playing it cool, even putting a hand on Kara’s arm to get her to sit still, to no avail. But as they’d gotten closer to the city center, past the industrial, graffiti-covered suburbs, Lena had also felt a surge of anticipation. 

It was a few minutes past noon, Paris time, on Friday; they had left National City right after the board meeting. Kara had met her at the L-Corp helipad, and from there it was ten minutes to the airport where the plane had been waiting. They had taken off almost immediately. Once they were in the air, the flight attendant had brought out the three platters of potstickers that Kara had requested, and Kara had happily devoured the dumplings while watching a movie. 

But Lena had been so tired, she had retreated to the plane’s bedroom and slept the entire twelve hours to Paris, waking only when the customs officer had boarded the plane for their declarations. Then one of her Paris house staff, Jean, had been waiting for them at the foot of the stairs with the Mercedes. He had loaded their luggage into the trunk, and now here they were in the 8th, forty minutes later. 

Kara looked a little dazed as she got out of the car and looked around. Lena couldn’t blame her; she owned many beautiful properties, but the grandeur of this one - the stately columns, the carved stone pediments, the symmetric arrays of windows - still took her breath away. 

The ornate wooden doors to the house opened, and a fifty-something woman with dark brown hair and sharp features welcomed them. 

“Mademoiselle Luthor! It has been too long! I trust you had a good journey?” she said in barely accented English.

“Yes, Juliette, thank you. It’s good to see you. This is my friend, Kara Danvers.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mademoiselle Danvers. I look after this residence, along with a few other people. We have your rooms prepared if you would like to freshen up.”

Juliette stood back and let Lena and Kara enter. They stepped into a vestibule that opened into a large, bright foyer with inlaid marble and decorative molding. An elaborate chandelier hung down from a rotunda high above them, and an elegant staircase swept up the right and spiraled towards the upper floors. 

Kara glanced up towards the chandelier. “Neoclassical? I love all the light! When was it built?”

“Completed in 1754, mademoiselle,” Juliette answered. 

”Louis the Fifthteenth then?” Kara asked, admiringly. She said sincerely to Juliette, “It must be a joy to take care of such a beautiful place.”

“Ah, bien,” Juliette seemed delighted. “You know something of our history. You will enjoy Paris, I hope.”

Lena knew Kara was a voracious reader, but was sometimes caught off guard by these odd pockets of expertise. “I didn’t know you were into architecture, Kara! Aren’t you full of surprises.”

“Oh, I just dabble,” Kara said modestly. “It kind of came along with the art history.”

Lena was certain Kara was underselling herself, but she let it go. “Well, why don’t I show you around the house then? And we can decide what we want to do this afternoon? Juliette, could you please have the car ready in forty-five minutes?”

Juliette nodded and went about her business while Lena took Kara on a quick tour. The house had five floors and a cellar. The ground floor had a grand ballroom with mirrors, gilded paneling on the walls, and parquet floors that ran the length of the house. There were also three drawing rooms filled with period furniture, a dining room with a wide mahogany table that could seat twenty, a library with thousands of rare books, and an enormous kitchen on a scale meant for servants. The back of the house opened onto a portico, beyond which there was a large formal garden.

On her visits, Lena rarely spent much time on the ground floor because it felt like a museum. The second floor, on the other hand, had been recently renovated to be modern and livable. Everything was white and grey. There was a living room with a grand piano, a modern kitchen and dining room, a smaller library, an office, a gym, and two master bedroom suites connected by a gallery. The third and fourth floors had more bedrooms, all the furniture covered by dust cloths as the rooms were rarely used, and the fifth floor - more of an attic - had old staff rooms that were now used for storage.

And there was a roofdeck.

Kara gasped when they opened the double doors and walked outside into the bright sunlight. 

It seemed like all of Paris was spread out before them. The sky was infinite above the low skyline; they could see for miles. Lena loved how - other than the Tour Montparnasse, and La Defense rising in the west - it was easy to imagine they were looking out at the Paris of a hundred years ago, with the same zinc-plate rooftops and stovepipe chimneys. 

“What a terrible view, Lena!” Kara said, beaming as she took in the city. 

Lena laughed. She had spent many an evening up here, watching the sunset. “I used to come up here all the time when I was a child - it’s magical at night with the lights.”

They leaned against the railing for a bit, Lena pointing out the roofs of a few landmarks, including the verdigris dome of the opera house, where they would see the ballet on Saturday evening. Then she glanced over to find that Kara was smiling at her, her eyes bright.

Lena blushed. Being the sole focus of anyone’s attention always made her feel self-conscious.

“What?”

“Just imagining you as a little kid. You must have been adorable!”

“Oh no,” Lena’s first instinct was to be self-deprecating. “I was precocious and annoying.”

“So nothing’s changed then,” Kara teased.

“Hey!” Lena arched her eyebrow. “If I’m so annoying, why are you here?”

Kara slung her arm around Lena’s shoulders. “Well, because I like you, Lena! And also,” she added, grinning, “I was promised croissants! Speaking of which… I’m starving! I haven’t eaten anything since those potstickers yesterday!”

Subtlety was not one of Kara’s gifts. 

“Ok, ok!” Lena grinned back. “Can I have a shower first and then we can head out for lunch?”

They went back down to the second floor and to their respective suites to get ready. 

Lena’s bedroom was spacious. It had high ceilings and large windows with muslin curtains that were drawn to let in the light and air. There was a canopied bed with white bedding, an antique desk and wardrobe, and a seating area with two armchairs around a fireplace. 

Lena walked over to the window to look outside. The hedges in the garden below had been laid out in an elaborate pattern, with flowers filling in the spaces. She knew it so well she could trace it in her mind, and it was wonderful to see it again, unchanged after all this time.

Everything felt airy and peaceful, and she started to relax for the first time in what felt like years. 

_____

After her shower, Lena threw on a black dress and ballet flats. And sunglasses and a colorful scarf, which seemed to be essential accessories for Parisians in the cool spring weather. She knocked on Kara’s door.

“Hey! Ready to go? I thought maybe we could walk around the Marais?”

Kara opened the door in dark skinny jeans and a fitted white t-shirt. “Yes! Let me grab a jacket.”

She emerged wearing a black blazer and they made their way down the stairs. Derek was in the vestibule along with two brown-haired men in suits whom he introduced as Paul and Etienne. They were from a Parisian executive protection firm and would be looking after them. Lena was giving Derek the weekend off to enjoy the city, but also wherever she travelled, she thought it prudent to have a local team that was familiar with the area. 

Because the weather was so lovely, Lena suggested that it might be nicer to get things for a picnic instead of going to a restaurant for lunch. One of her staff handed Paul a picnic basket with plates, glasses, and cutlery, and they piled into the waiting cars.

Jean dropped them off at the _Marché des Enfants Rouge_ , a small farmer’s market with restaurants tucked behind an unassuming gate in the Haut-Marais. On a Thursday in the mid-afternoon, it wasn’t that crowded, but still had plenty of vendors. 

Kara’s eyes were comically wide as they went from stall to stall, discreetly tailed by Paul and Etienne, looking at the fresh produce displayed in wooden crates, the oysters and langoustines on ice, the bread in wicker baskets. She smiled at everybody as she looked around and clutched Lena’s arm whenever she got excited. Which was often. The market itself wasn’t anything special by Parisian standards, but Kara’s joyful commentary made it seem extraordinary.

“Cheese! There’s cheese over here, Lena! So many kinds of cheese!”

“Wild strawberries! Oh, I bet those taste amazing!”

“I’ve never had Moroccan food before... “

“Lena! Look, he’s making crepes!”

After they had made one circuit around the market, Kara elbowed Lena. “So many possibilities! What are you going to get?”

“I don’t know yet… maybe a salad?” 

Kara stared at her as though she were crazy. “Really? Uh, I kind of want everything! I may disgust you with how much I plan to eat this weekend! Meet you back here in fifteen?”

“Do you want me to come with you? You don’t speak French, do you?”

Lena had picked up conversational French from all her travels as well as studying it in boarding school, so she could get by.

“It’s ok, I’ll point to what I want! See you soon!” 

Lena got herself a niçoise salad and a half bottle of Sancerre and came back to their meeting point. A few minutes later, Kara walked up, carrying several bags, one with a baguette sticking out of it. She looked as though she had been shopping for a family of four. 

Lena led them over a few streets to a square with a beautiful garden, where they sat on the grass by a pond. The sun was shining, and there were a handful of people lounging about or playing table tennis by the gazebo. All around the square were Haussmann-era buildings with their wrought iron railings and mansard roofs. It was a far cry from the steel and glass skyscrapers of National City.

Kara unfurled the blanket that Paul had brought from the car, and Lena unpacked the plates and cutlery. Then she watched as Kara proceeded to open her bags and pull out the baguette, a small wheel of Camembert, a charcuterie plate with cornichons, a handful of apricots, a pint of wild strawberries, some grapes, a styrofoam container with chicken and couscous, a crepe, an entire Tarte Tatin, and a large bottle of water. 

“Wow, Kara,” Lena said as she opened the wine and poured two glasses. “That is quite the spread!”

Kara handed Lena the baguette. “I got enough for both of us!” She sounded like a four-year old who was proud of herself for doing the right thing. 

Lena had been to a game night or two where Kara’s quirky possessiveness about food had been on full display. But Kara always seemed to be willing to share with her.

“Thank you, Kara,” Lena accepted gratefully. She broke off a small piece of bread and gave it back. 

Kara beamed and systematically worked her way through the tagine, the charcuterie and cheese and fruit, and then the crepe. Lena looked on, amused, while she ate her salad.

Lena had been mindful of her weight ever since Lillian had commented on her baby fat and signed her up for ballet when she was five. As a result, Lena found Kara’s unapologetic love of food to be completely refreshing, even if she did wonder occasionally about how fast her friend’s metabolism must be. In any case, whenever Kara stopped by with donuts or fast food, Lena felt permission to let go a little, to indulge herself.

So after she finished her salad, she cut herself a big slice of the tarte and ate it slowly, savoring the taste of the caramelized apple and the flaky pastry, licking her lips. 

“God, this is the best thing I’ve eaten all year,” she said and glanced over at Kara, who was staring at her, perfectly still, fork halfway to her mouth.

Lena ran her fingers around her lips. “Oh, do I have something on my face?”

“Uh, no! I, uh...” Kara stammered, putting her fork down. “No, your face is… perfect.” She picked up her bottle of water and drained it.

Lena couldn’t tell if Kara was being sarcastic. “Perfect, huh?”

Kara put the bottle down. 

“Actually, yes. I wouldn’t change a thing,” she said earnestly. Then she added, her smile turning into a smirk, “Except maybe that smart mouth of yours.”

Lena laughed and stuck out her tongue.

“Well, this smart mouth thanks you for getting the tarte… it’s beyond delicious. Can I serve you a slice?”

“Please and thank you!” Kara said happily and returned to her crepe.

Lena cut Kara a big piece and then laid back on the blanket, looking up at the fluffy white clouds, listening to the muted sounds of the children playing around them. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and the sun was warm on her face.

What a delightful start to the weekend.


	3. Chapter 3

They spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the Marais. Lena loved the narrow streets, the charming cafes and shops, and the human scale of the neighborhood, so different from the grand boulevards of the rest of Paris. 

Then they made their way down to the Seine, taking a few obligatory selfies in front of Notre Dame before crossing over to the Left Bank. The area was crowded with tourists taking pictures, and vendors selling books and drawings and Eiffel Tower souvenirs. And the sidewalk cafes were packed with people enjoying a coffee or aperitif in the late afternoon sun. 

Kara looked around in wonder as they strolled past the historic buildings lining the river, weaving around the other pedestrians. 

“So... I read this book about Haussmann last week and I can’t believe he just created a new Paris out of his mind! Did you know he bulldozed over entire neighborhoods and displaced hundreds of thousands of people? Like, who does that?”

Lena laughed. “Hmmm, it sounds like something my brother would do,” she said dryly. 

She was still coming to terms with Lex’s megalomania, but a dark sense of humor helped her stay somewhat detached.

Kara cleared her throat nervously. “I’m not sure if I should laugh at that or not… but I’m glad you can.”

“It’s fine, Kara,” Lena shrugged. “Anyway, I doubt Lex could have built a city with such panache. He probably would have gone for Soviet-style concrete. Parisians are lucky; Haussmann had excellent taste. But didn’t they have cholera outbreaks that sparked the renovation?”

“They did. And you could argue that the city had to change because everything was changing then, social structures and technology and transportation as well... It must have been a very confusing time to be alive. I think that’s what’s interesting about the Impressionists - their art is so soft and pretty to us now, but that was their time, and they were really revolutionary in how they painted, what they painted…” 

Suddenly, Kara stopped walking. She sucked in her breath sharply. “There’s…”

They had just come up to the Pont Saint-Michel. Lena looked at her. “Hey, what’s wrong?” 

“Lena, I’ll be right back,” Kara said decisively. She sprinted away, darting across three lanes of traffic away from the river. 

“Kara!” Lena yelled after her, baffled. “Where are you going?” 

Etienne passed her, chasing Kara at full speed. Lena just stood there as they disappeared around a corner.

Paul came up from behind and asked gruffly, “Mademoiselle Luthor. Where is she going?”

Lena threw up her hands. “I have no idea. She just took off.” She pulled out her phone to text Kara, then heard the ear-splitting wail of sirens. Four fire engines came barrelling down the bridge in front of her.

All around her, people started shouting and pointing up and towards her right. She craned her head to see what they were looking at.

On the Île de la Cité, there was a steeple with a delicate-looking spire visible above the massive stone buildings that housed the Ministry of Justice. Lena knew it was the spire of Sainte-Chapelle, a gothic church that was one of the oldest in Paris.

She could see wisps of grey smoke rising from the steeple. And after a few moments, yellow and orange flames started to lick up the filigreed spire. It was utterly horrifying, but she couldn’t stop watching. The fire was strangely beautiful, almost alive as it grew brighter and stronger. 

Another set of fire engines roared by and Lena awoke from her trance. 

It was getting chaotic. It seemed like thousands of people had come out of the woodwork. Some were running up the bridge to get a better view, some had their phones out to take pictures. Lena felt herself being jostled back and forth. A few vendors were yelling angrily at pedestrians who were trampling their ground cloths and merchandise. The police appeared, shouting into megaphones for everybody to keep order. 

Paul said firmly, “Mademoiselle.” He took Lena’s arm to pull her away.

Then out of nowhere came a flash of black in the sky. 

There was a collective gasp from the crowd. Lena and Paul both stopped and watched. The figure circled the spire a few times and the flames blew out, white smoke billowing upwards. Then it flew down the steeple and out of sight, and a few seconds later zoomed back up and away towards the Left Bank.

“A guardian angel,” Paul said quietly. “Thank god. Mademoiselle Luthor, Jean is here. We must go. Crowds are not safe.”

Paul guided her calmly across the street to the waiting Mercedes, speaking rapidly in French into his earpiece as they got into the car. Jean quickly put the car into gear, and they drove off.

Lena finally got her wits about her.

“Paul! Where‘s Kara?” she asked urgently. “We can’t leave her here!” 

“I am already coordinating with Etienne.” Paul said. 

Lena buckled her seatbelt, feeling disoriented. Everything had happened so quickly, within the span of ten minutes.

Then her phone rang; it was Kara. Lena breathed a sigh of relief and pressed her phone close to her ear so she could hear.

“Hey Lena? Where are you? There’s police everywhere!” Kara’s voice came through with a lot of background noise.

“We’re in the car. Where are _you_? Where did you go?” 

“Uh, I’m where we were? By the bridge? I had to go to the bathroom. Really badly!”

Lena rolled her eyes. She was irritated. “Seriously? Kara, you gave me such a fright. Etienne was following you, did he find you?”

“Um… gosh... no. Should I meet him somewhere? Or find my way back to your house?”

Lena turned to Paul. “It’s Kara. She’s at the bridge.”

Paul spoke quickly to Etienne, then said to Lena, “Tell her to please answer her phone this time. He will ring her and they can find each other.”

“Kara? Etienne will call you now. See you at home.”

Lena hung up and Paul did too. Then he turned to her and said matter-of-factly, “Mademoiselle Luthor, you should know: Etienne said your friend ran into a side street. He turned the corner and she had vanished. And he rang her multiple times but she did not answer.”

Lena frowned. She didn’t know what Paul was insinuating, but whatever it was, she didn’t like it.

“What are you trying to say, Paul?” she asked pointedly.

Paul said, unfazed, “Mademoiselle Luthor, I am here to protect you. Do you not see that Mademoiselle Danvers’s actions were irregular, to disappear without telling you why, and to outrun a man who used to be in the special forces?”

Lena realized how defensive she must have sounded. She took a deep breath and said, more calmly, “Paul, I’m sorry. Thank you for your perspective. I’ve known Kara for almost a year and she’s my best friend. I trust her. There must be some explanation. I hope I can count on you and Etienne for your discretion. And thank you for your excellent work today.”

“Of course,” Paul said professionally. “All in a day’s work. But mademoiselle, to put my grain of salt, please be cautious; a year is not a long time.” He pulled out his phone and started texting.

Lena knew there was merit to Paul's warning. And she started mulling over what had just happened. Did Paris have its own Super? 

Or…

Lena felt a cold wave pass over her.

_Of course._

She looked out the window as she tried to make sense of all the thoughts whirling through her mind.

How had she not seen it before? How Kara frequently cut meals short and was dashing off somewhere, saying there was an urgent tip she had to chase down, or some family emergency she had to deal with? How she could put away enormous quantities of food and not gain an ounce? How Supergirl always came immediately when Lena asked Kara to get in touch with her?

But then, Lena remembered that Kara had been scanned by the alien detection prototype and had tested negative. And she’d seen Kara and Supergirl together at a gala… hadn’t she? And anyway, it was almost impossible to believe that her sweet, goofy, wholesome friend could be a superhero.

Supergirl carried herself so regally, blazing with confidence and strength. Lena had been captivated by the idea of her even before she had moved to National City, and she had been rendered virtually speechless the first time they had met, when Supergirl had stopped her helicopter from crashing out of the sky. She could still remember Supergirl’s commanding presence, her piercing blue eyes, her slim but muscular frame. She seemed untouchable, a goddess. The stuff of... fantasy. 

Now that she thought about it, there was a resemblance. But how could those two diametrically opposed personalities be contained within one person? Could Kara really have god-like powers, but exercise such incredible restraint and self-control to pass as human? And then magnanimously fly to the rescue whenever she could save lives?

If so, that was kind of... hot. 

Lena had never thought someone as intimidating and thrilling as Supergirl could ever be accessible, approachable, but if she were actually Kara… 

Lena could picture Kara holding her in her strong arms, kissing her fiercely, pushing her to her knees...

_No. This is wrong._

Lena shook her head to clear it. She felt dirty. This was _Kara_ she was thinking about. Her _friend_. 

Lena wasn’t blind; Kara was pretty and seemed fit under her button-ups and cardigans. But she was just so… nice, Lena had never looked at her _that_ way before. But now… 

Paul interrupted her thoughts. “Mademoiselle, we have arrived. Also you may be interested to know that according to _Le Figaro_ , the fire of Sainte-Chapelle is contained.”

Lena thanked him and Jean again, then walked into the house and straight up to her room. She dropped her bag and kicked off her shoes and went into the bathroom to wash her face. The cool water felt good on her skin. She dried her face on a soft towel and felt refreshed. 

When she came out, there was a pot of tea set out on the desk for her. Lena poured herself a cup and sat down in an armchair to decompress.

What a bizarre afternoon. 

She took a sip and heard footsteps on the staircase, then a sharp rapping on her door. A very apologetic-looking Kara cracked the door open and poked her head in.

“Hey! I’m back. I‘m sorry we got separated.”

Lena looked up. “No, it’s ok. Come in?”

Kara walked into the room. As she came towards Lena, Lena could swear she could see Kara’s abs flexing under the fabric of her t-shirt, which clung to her like a second skin. 

_Is that a six pack?_

_Don’t stare don’t stare don’t stare_

Kara flopped down into the chair across from Lena’s.

Lena wrinkled her nose. Kara _reeked_ of cheap perfume.

“Jesus, Kara! What is that smell?”

Kara laughed. “I was wondering how close I would have to get before you noticed! I think Etienne held his nose the entire way back in the car.” She started to get up. “Let me go shower.”

Lena coughed. “Please. But first… what happened?”

“Oh,” Kara fell back into the chair. “Well, I really had to go to the bathroom. And none of the restaurants would let me use one unless I paid for something. So I was _forced_ to get ice cream at Haagen-Dazs.”

“Forced, huh?” Lena said, as she tried to figure out where Kara’s story was going. 

“Yes, I had to eat it all in two bites. I got the worst ice cream headache, Lena! And then when I came out, there’s a Sephora right there, and people were yelling and running all over the place, and a man dropped a huge thing of perfume and it splashed all over me. And then I came back to the bridge and you had vanished…”

Kara stuck her bottom lip out, looking at Lena like she was a lost puppy. 

As she listened to Kara, Lena was starting to doubt herself. Could Kara have made all that up? It was a touch outlandish - especially getting splashed by perfume, conveniently masking the smell of smoke - but, Lena decided, it was possible. 

Also Kara’s pout was unbelievably distracting. 

“You poor thing,” she said sympathetically. “And my god, what has happened to Paris? Steps away from Notre Dame and there’s a Haagen-Dazs and a Sephora?”

“Yeah, I was surprised by that too! Seemed full of Francophones though.”

Lena studied Kara’s face, trying to imagine what she would look like without glasses, and also trying to remember Supergirl’s features. But her memories were too vague to really compare. 

She realized Kara was waiting for her to say something, and she sighed. “In any case, I’m sorry we left you behind, Kara. I don’t want you to think that I would cut and run in an emergency… but please don’t disappear like that again!” Then she remembered what Paul had said. “Kara, why didn’t you answer your phone when Etienne called?”

Kara rubbed the back of her neck. 

“Oh, it was on silent. My data plan costs me an arm and a leg for international, so I haven’t really been using it here.”

She looked at Lena for her reaction.

That… made sense? Anyway, if Kara had just battled a raging inferno, could she be this nonchalant right after? And be so comfortable lying to a friend? 

Lena took a sip of tea. She didn’t know how to think about this and needed more time to process. She sighed again and said, “Ok, let me pay for your data plan? I was worried about you...” 

Kara flushed. “You don’t have to pay for it, I’ll figure it out. Sorry again.”

“It’s fine. It was a miss to not have a plan for if we were unexpectedly separated, but I haven’t travelled with anybody in a while.” 

They sat in silence. Then Kara stood up. “Uh, I probably need to have a shower and get this perfume off me, or they won’t let me into the restaurant! When do we need to leave? I know you don’t like to be late.” 

Lena was hit by an image of Kara in the shower, water running down the sinewy muscles of her back.

_Oh my god. What is wrong with me?_

Her heart started beating rapidly. She checked her watch. It was six o’clock. She said, probably too quickly, “Um, we can leave at seven so we won’t be rushed?”

Kara said slowly, “Um, ok. Great. Is it casual or fancy?”

“It’s a bistro, so casual.”

“Ok. See you in a bit, then.”

Lena watched Kara leave the room.

Whether or not Kara was Supergirl, Lena was now seeing her in a very different light. Time for a shower herself. A cold one.

———

Dinner was at a classic French bistro - white tablecloths, dark wood booths with brass accents, Art Deco posters - but it was one with a Michelin star, so Lena expected the food would be excellent.

Kara needed some help translating the menu, so Lena ordered for both of them - steak frites for Kara, a salad with duck confit for herself, a bottle of Côte du Rhône. Then she looked down and examined the tablecloth. She felt unusually on edge after the events of the afternoon.

“This place is cute!” Kara said amiably, breaking the silence. “You always find the neatest restaurants, Lena.”

Lena glanced up. Kara was wearing a sleeveless blue top that showed off her defined arms and set off her eyes. Her golden hair, pulled half back, gleamed in the low light.

_She’s gorgeous._

Had she really never noticed before how stunning her friend was?

Her mouth suddenly felt parched and she reached for her water. She almost knocked over her glass, but Kara caught it and handed it back to her. Their fingers brushed and Lena inhaled sharply. Kara looked at her, quizzically.

_Calm down._

“Um, Jess found it. I believe she’s part of some international guild of executive assistants… I think if I asked her to get me fresh sushi on top of Mount Kilimanjaro, she and her network would find a way.”

Kara laughed. “I wouldn’t put it past her. She’s way better at that job than I ever was... she kind of scares me, to be honest!”

“Me too,” Lena admitted. Jess was frighteningly competent and efficient. Lena didn’t know what she would do without her.

The wine was served, and Lena swirled it around her glass and tasted it. “ _Bon_ ,” she pronounced, and the waiter nodded and poured. 

She and Kara clinked glasses, and Lena took a sip and looked around the restaurant. Usually conversation flowed easily between them, but Lena’s mind was too scattered to think of anything to say, and Kara seemed subdued as well.

An elegantly dressed French couple sat down at the table next to theirs. Lena couldn’t understand all of their conversation, but the words _‘Sainte-Chapelle_ ’ and _‘un miracle’_ stood out.

“Uh, so…” Kara fidgeted with her glasses, “would you ever want to live here for real?”

Their eyes met and Kara’s mouth curved into a bright smile, her eyes warm. 

Lena suddenly had butterflies in her stomach. 

“You know,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady, “I don’t think so.”

Kara was surprised. “Why not? You seem to love it so much!”

“Ok, I’m going to sound tone-deaf,” Lena said, “but French taxes are so high, it doesn’t make sense when I can visit up to half the year. And anyway, there’s a part of me that wonders if I love Paris so much because I _don’t_ live here. It’s an illusion. We don’t see the grittiness - the _banlieues_ , the poverty, the racial and religious tensions - we can ignore all of that as tourists... but what about you? Would you want to live here?”

Kara thought for a moment and said, “Well, I love National City. It’s home; my whole life is there. And it’s within driving distance of Midvale, so Alex and I can visit Eliza easily. But maybe,” she winked, “I’d consider living here for a bit. Even if it’s an illusion, as you say, it certainly is romantic...”

Lena felt herself flush. “That it is,” she agreed. She bit her lip and stared at the tablecloth again.

Their food arrived, and as they ate, their conversation continuing in awkward fits and starts, Lena’s mind was miles away. 

The French had a saying - _‘un coup de foudre’_ \- a stroke of lightning - about love at first sight. Could it apply to a friend she had known for nearly a year?


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Lena woke up a little before seven, after a very poor night’s sleep. She headed, zombie-like, to the bathroom to have a quick shower. 

When they had arrived back at the house, Kara had asked her if she wanted to go up to the roofdeck to see the city at night. But Lena had claimed severe jet lag and escaped to her room. 

And as she fell asleep, she had tried desperately to think about anything other than Kara - anything other than Kara’s hands moving down her body, Kara’s mouth exploring her, Kara’s fingers inside her - but her unruly imagination could not be tamed. Normally stress and exhaustion kept her sex drive at bay, but she had been so painfully turned on, she’d had to dig in her suitcase for her vibrator and take care of herself. And then she had been consumed with shame.

And now she and Kara were about to spend the entire day together in the most romantic city in the world. 

How was she possibly going to manage?

She blow-dried her hair, put on an asymmetric white top, black leggings, and dark red lipstick, and went downstairs.

It was cloudy out but still bright, so she put on her aviators as she walked outside onto the portico. A breakfast of fruit and pastries had been set out on a table for her, along with a newspaper, and she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down. Lionel had always started his days in Paris like this and his routine had become her own.

She started reading.

_“MYSTERY ALIEN SAVES SAINTE-CHAPELLE_

_13th-Century Church Of French Kings Spared From Fire”_

The photo just showed a black streak across the sky; the alien had been moving too fast to get a clear shot. And the article confirmed that this was the first time a being with these powers had been seen in Paris.

Lena frowned as she sipped her coffee and ate a pain aux raisins. It bothered her that Kara might be hiding a part of herself. But it wasn’t obvious what she could do about it. The only way she could definitively know would be to catch Kara in the act of transformation, or ask her to admit it. The former seemed unlikely, and the latter felt like it would put a strain on their friendship. She worried that Kara would feel put on the spot, or worse, read the question as xenophobic. And maybe they simply weren’t close enough yet for Kara to trust her, and she needed to give it time. Or maybe, Kara - really, Supergirl - had no intention of telling her, and had only befriended her to “keep her enemies closer.” Lena was a Luthor, after all.

That last thought gave Lena pause. If she kept thinking this way, it could poison her mind. 

For the sake of their friendship, she had to have the mental strength to quash her suspicions and assume that Kara was human - unless more information came to light. It wouldn’t be easy. Lena was trained to seek out more data to prove or disprove a hypothesis, and she had a somewhat obsessive personality. But it wouldn’t be fair to subject her friend to an investigation. Kara had been loyal to her when it had mattered.

Just then, Kara came out of the house. She was dressed in running gear, with sport sunglasses that hugged the sides of her head, her hair tied back in a ponytail.

“Hi Lena! Good morning! Paul told me you were back here!” she said cheerfully as she bent over and lifted up the bottom of her shirt to wipe the sweat from her face and neck. 

_Fuck me._

Kara’s torso looked like it had been chiseled from a rock, and Lena could not rip her eyes away. She felt a sudden compulsion to run her tongue down the center line of Kara’s abs to the waistband of her shorts.

“Uh, good morning to you too,” Lena said as she set the paper down on the table, trying to settle herself. But Kara started stretching, giving Lena a view of her legs - quads and hamstrings and calves all toned and smooth.

_Oh my god._

Lena had never been so grateful for sunglasses; Kara couldn’t see her eyes. 

She took a gulp of coffee. “I… um… didn’t even hear you leave. When did you wake up?”

Kara finished stretching and sat down in the chair next to Lena. She picked up the paper and glanced at it, then tossed it aside.

“Five-thirty? The birds were so loud! But then it seemed way too nice outside to stay in bed so I thought I’d go for a run!”

Lena raised an eyebrow. 

“You were out for two hours? Where all did you go?” 

“Oh, um, past the Louvre to Notre Dame and then back along the river to the Eiffel Tower, then up to the Arc de Triomphe and back here! And I ran by the Museé d’Orsay and am so excited to go there today! Hey… are those croissants?” 

Kara had never mentioned distance running before, but she was obviously one of those people who enjoyed torturing themselves with exercise in the morning. Lena estimated that Kara had covered nine or ten miles. This might explain her metabolism, and how she had been able to outrun Etienne. She was just in excellent shape. _And had an incredible body._ That was all.

Lena licked her lips, which suddenly felt dry.

“Uh, yes. Please help yourself. You must be hungry after such a long run?”

“I am, thank you!” Kara reached across the table, her back and shoulder and arm muscles rippling under her shirt. 

Lena swallowed. Even Kara’s forearms and hands looked wiry and strong. And what those hands could do to her…

_Get ahold of yourself._

Lena looked away and started to recite the periodic table in her head, trying to get a handle on her thirst.

Kara sat back and crammed half a croissant into her mouth. She made an appreciative noise and said brightly, her mouth full, “I swear the butter here tastes different! What do they feed the cows? Anyway, so I was thinking on my run… I know I said I wanted to see the Impressionists, but if there’s one painting I want to see in d’Orsay, it’s Manet’s _Olympia_. And then maybe we can pick a couple more paintings to see, if that’s ok with you? Else I worry they’ll all just blur together and I won’t remember anything… and I want to remember everything! What do you think?” 

Lena looked back at Kara, who was smiling at her hopefully. Her lips looked so soft and pink, Lena imagined what it would feel like to take the bottom one between her teeth and...

_Stop it._

She cleared her throat. “Um… I… sure, Kara, whatever you want.”

It came out more curtly than she had intended and Kara furrowed her brow.

Lena knew she was being awkward again and tried to be more forthcoming. “I mean… yes, museums can be overwhelming so that sounds good. And I’m happy to see anything you want. Also, we need to leave in twenty if we don’t want to be late.”

Kara nodded slowly. “Uh… ok. Then I’d better eat up.”

She ate three more croissants and most of the fruit, then excused herself and went back into the house to get ready.

Lena took a deep breath and looked out at the garden.

Ok, so Kara was smoking hot. Kara, who was so… pure. With her love of baking and board games and puppies, Kara was the definition of innocence. This was incongruous to the extreme. 

And Lena didn’t know what to do. 

Kara was the first person she had been attracted to in a long time. And as far as she knew, Kara wasn’t seeing anybody. But they never really talked about dating, as Lena usually changed the subject.

Because if she had one Achilles heel, it was relationships. She didn’t have the best track record; in fact, it was abysmal.

She had grown up feeling unloved in a dysfunctional family. Lionel had spoiled her for two weeks out of the year when he was on vacation, but otherwise he hadn’t had time for her, which stung even more now that she knew she was his biological daughter. Lillian had been cold and passive-aggressive, letting her know exactly what her faults were and why she was a disappointment without ever saying anything outright, and Lex… 

Lex had been the most confusing of all, vacillating between kindness and disparagement. He might spend hours helping her with an experiment, then make a single cutting remark that would leave her in tears. It had made her deeply insecure, and she had coped by becoming a perfectionist - the more she got right, maybe the less he would criticize. And she also had become reluctant to let anybody close, since she knew she would inevitably get hurt.

And so she’d only ever had one serious relationship - with Jack. They had been business partners for over three years before he had asked her out. For a while, she had been deliriously happy. She was still fond of him and missed him sometimes. But there had also been something all-consuming about their time together that had been unhealthy. And as their startup failed, so had the relationship, and she had vowed never to mix personal and professional again. Deep down, she wondered if he had really loved her, or if he had just been caught up in the dream of success. The break up had been freeing, but it had also shaken her confidence.

And now, because she was trying to right the ship at L-Corp, she had very little time to date. She might accept a dinner invitation here or there, but she wasn’t looking to start anything. Anyway, she had to be careful. She knew people were attracted to her for her money and her power and her family’s notoriety, and if she were more shallow, she could have had some fun with that. But it made her skin crawl to think she might become a punchline to some asshole’s story about how he had bedded Lena Luthor.

Kara, on the other hand, was a known quantity. Somebody she trusted already. Was she ready to open herself up again? To risk changing the dynamic of their friendship? Maybe.

Then again, they were in Paris, her favorite city. It was her first vacation in over two years. And as one-night stands were out of the question, she hadn’t slept with anybody since Jack. Was it any wonder that someone who looked like _that_ would turn her on? 

This would all probably go away once they got back to National City.

Lena resolved to just get through the weekend. 

______

The Museé d’Orsay was a former Beaux-Arts train station that had been converted into an art museum after being threatened by demolition. Lena couldn’t believe people had wanted to tear down such a beautiful building, with its wonderful clocks and magnificent exterior, perfectly situated on the banks of the Seine.

When Kara had said that it was her pick for what she wanted to do in Paris, Lena had asked one of her art consultants to make the arrangements for their visit. 

Lena had been collecting art since she was a teenager, not from any love of it, but because it was part of Lionel’s lessons on investing. Art was a long-term play, an alternative asset that was a hedge against inflation and that had favorable tax treatment. And it provided an entry into philanthropic circles. Over the years, Lena had donated millions to arts organizations and joined a few boards, and the connections had always proven to be useful.

So because she was a well-known collector who might give a major gift someday, she had been graced with an hour to look around before the museum opened to the public. And the president of the museum had asked to meet her.

They arrived a few minutes before eight-thirty, and Kara bounded out of the car, her ponytail swishing behind her. “I can’t wait!” 

In some ways, Lena thought drolly as they walked to the doors, Kara’s endless energy reminded her of a golden retriever’s.

The president greeted them in the lobby. She was a short, plump woman with a grandmotherly air about her. It felt like she was welcoming them into her home instead of to one of the world’s great museums.

She warmly asked them about their interests in art, talked briefly about the museum and its mission, and let them know about a new initiative she was planning around using technology to enable improved digital access to the collection. Lena knew this was a pitch, one that was delivered masterfully - not at all feeling like a sale, but exactly the sort of thing that might appeal to her. This was how the game was played. L-Corp was expanding its European operations, so now might be a good time to raise its profile in France, and being associated with a tech-forward initiative at a prestigious museum could be good for their brand. She decided to ask her marketing team to consider a sponsorship.

Lena thanked the president for her time and said she would be in touch. They air-kissed their goodbyes and then she and Kara were allowed into the galleries.

Kara was practically vibrating with excitement as they walked through the enormous glass-roofed hall, surrounded by masterpieces. They went straight to the room on the ground floor where _Olympia_ was hung. Manet’s painting depicted a naked courtesan lounging on a bed, being offered flowers by a black servant. 

“It’s extraordinary, isn’t it?” Kara said reverently, stepping forward and leaning in to get a better look. 

She started talking about the painting’s history and Lena tried to pay attention, but Kara was wearing a slim-fitting button-up, and her slacks accentuated her firm butt. And now that Lena was aware of how athletic Kara was, she was mesmerized by how she moved. Even the way she pointed out Manet’s brush strokes had a certain grace and control, like a dancer’s. She probably had a dancer’s flexibility and stamina as well...

Lena felt the heat rise to her face. 

_Focus, damn it._

“...and then the thing that was so scandalous when it was exhibited at the Salon was that she’s looking directly at us, like she’s judging us, instead of the other way around. And she’s a courtesan posed like a classical goddess - in fact, modeled after a Titian - so it was offensive on every level! I like her though, she seems self-possessed, and is obviously very striking…” 

Lena finally studied the painting. It did make her feel like a voyeur. Olympia was the one who was naked, but Lena felt uncomfortable looking at her. She felt a strange kinship with her, so exposed, yet defiant. Lena was frequently trailed by cameras, and sometimes she wished she could turn the tables on the people who invaded her privacy, to put them in their place.

As she listened to Kara talk about Manet’s unconventional technique and the problematic racial and gender aspects of his work, Lena could see just how knowledgeable Kara was about art. She wasn’t pompous or snobby about it at all, unlike a lot of people Lena met in the art world. Lena respected that, as well as the keen intelligence behind those light blue eyes.

But what she found herself really admiring was Kara’s unabashed joy - the way her eyes lit up, the way she could barely contain her smiles. As a chess grandmaster and a technologist and an investor, Lena had been trained to play things out into the future, to weigh pros and cons, to sacrifice and delay gratification to reach an objective. She was rarely able to fully enjoy what was in front of her, as she was constantly thinking about how it could be better. But Kara had a genuine appreciation of the beauty around her, and seemed to be content living each moment. It made the world seem brighter when they were together. 

_I like her. A lot._

She realized her attraction to Kara was rapidly turning into a full-blown crush. 

“Lena?”

Kara was watching her, puzzled. Lena knew she had been staring, and blushed and looked at her shoes.

She felt an elbow nudge her side.

“Hey, you’re so quiet. What are you thinking about?” Kara asked softly.

Lena felt flustered, her heart suddenly pounding, and she stumbled over her words. 

“I… um, I... just how nice it is to see this with you. I mean, I knew you painted but I had no idea how much you knew about art. There’s a lot I… I… You’re... it’s impressive?” 

She looked at Kara uncertainly, cursing how inarticulate she became when she was nervous. 

Kara seemed to be weighing what to say, but then her forehead relaxed and she said sincerely, “Thanks. It’s a remarkable painting and I’m happy I got to see it with you too.”

She smiled warmly at Lena, whose stomach started doing flips again. 

Then suddenly Kara grabbed her hand and started dragging her into the next room. “But let’s go see a couple Monets before the hordes descend! According to the map, the _Haystacks_ are over here…”

Kara’s hand was strong and soft. And Lena felt weightless as she let herself be pulled along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://m.musee-orsay.fr/en/works/commentaire_id/olympia-7087.html


	5. Chapter 5

It was pouring when they decided to leave the museum a few hours later.

The air smelled fresh, and there were colorful umbrellas everywhere, contrasting with the grey stone and sky. 

To Lena, Paris was even more romantic in the rain. As they waited in the lobby for Jean to pull the car around, she wondered what it would be like to kiss Kara in a downpour, water streaming down their faces.

“Mademoiselle.”

Paul tapped her on the shoulder and let them know that Jean had arrived, and asked them to wait while Etienne fetched a few umbrellas.

But then Lena felt a hand press against the small of her back as Kara turned to her, a mischievous grin on her face.

“Hey! Race you!”

“Wait, what?”

Kara bolted out the doors, and after a second, Lena chased after her. They ran across the plaza, giggling like schoolgirls when they reached the shelter of the car, Paul right behind them.

Once they climbed inside and were settled, Lena heard Paul mutter “ _l’Amêricaine folle_ ” - crazy American - before he wiped his face with a handkerchief, turned around from the front seat and told Kara, respectfully but obviously frustrated, to please stop randomly running away. Lena stifled her laughter as Kara looked chastened and promised she would behave.

Lena asked Jean to take them to Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where she and Kara found an unassuming brasserie for lunch. Then they sought out the pâtisserie and salon de thé of an up-and-coming chef for dessert. 

It was modern and chic; everything from the tables to the subway tile that lined the walls was white, except for the glass cases filled with rows and rows of colorful, whimsical-looking pastries. The host seated them at a table by the window. 

Kara had made a list of all the pastries she wanted to eat while in Paris - macarons, dacquoise, mille-feuille, eclairs, Paris-Brest, among others - and was debating which ones to get when Lena impulsively ordered them all, along with some coffee. 

“You didn’t have to do that, Lena!” Kara exclaimed, her eyes wide with gratitude. “But thank you very much!”

Lena put the menu down and fiddled with her cutlery. “It’s your first time in Paris… of course I did.”

She wanted to be generous with Kara, to spoil her, to make her smile. 

But what did Kara want? 

Kara certainly was caring and affectionate with her. But she was that way with everyone. It gave Lena pause. Kara was otherwise so direct and transparent; if she were interested in her, wouldn’t she have said something already? 

Kara’s hand was suddenly on top of hers, stilling it, and Lena flinched. She glanced up.

“Hey, is everything ok?” Kara searched Lena’s eyes, her voice hesitant. “You’ve seemed a little off since yesterday?”

“Uh, yes,” Lena fumbled. “I mean, no. Everything’s... great. Um... so what’s special about these pastries?” she asked breezily. She willed herself to act normally.

There was a flash of concern in Kara’s eyes, but she pulled her hand back and smiled. “Well, they’re hard to make! A lot of steps, or some have fiddly steps. I’m good at making cookies and cakes, but pastries like this are all about technique. Although the fun of trying at home is that you get to eat the mistakes! Wow, would you look at that!”

Two servers had already appeared with the pastries and started placing them carefully on the table. The square white plates took up all available space, holding delicate pastel-colored macarons, cigar-shaped eclairs with piped whipped cream, and perfectly rectangular cakes, the layers neat and even, all the mirror glazes and garnishes meticulously applied. 

These were no ordinary pastries.

“Look how beautiful they are! Like art. I almost hate to destroy them...” Kara said, grinning and brandishing her fork.

“ _‘Almost’_ being the operative word,” Lena said dryly.

Kara winked at her and used the side of her fork to cut into the crisp layers of the mille-feuille. She took a bite and closed her eyes, moaning her satisfaction. Lena blushed furiously. But Kara didn’t seem to notice, completely oblivious to the world.

Lena delicately sampled each one - they were exceptional - but she mostly just watched Kara, who seemed to be in heaven as she ate her way through everything, her cheeks flushed pink, her eyes sparkling.

_How is she so adorable?_

What if this could be their life? Lena found herself picturing Saturdays at a quiet café, her with her laptop and coffee, Kara with a book and a few pastries. Or coming home to Kara, covered in flour, dancing in the kitchen. Or waking up together on a lazy Sunday morning...

She had never dated a woman before. Would people notice? How would it impact her company? Did she care?

Maybe she didn’t.

Kara set her fork down on a plate with a clack and Lena snapped back to reality.

“Thank you again!” Kara said with her mouth full. She had polished off nearly everything, with only half a macaron remaining. “They were all so delicious. Alas, nothing in National City can even begin to compare… how will I ever eat pastries again?”

“Somehow I think you’ll manage,” Lena teased. “But… maybe we should ask if the chef would be willing to franchise.”

Kara laughed. “Everything is a business opportunity to you, huh?”

Lena looked around. The patisserie had a good sense of style and the branding was on point. “I probably wouldn’t invest for real, since food service is usually low margin and capital intensive. But they have a fresh take on something traditional, so maybe? Sometimes people are willing to pay a premium if the product is special enough, but then pastries are so easily replicable, the brand has to be very strong. They might have a shot though.”

Kara nibbled on the final macaron. “The way you see the world is amazing to me, Lena.” 

Lena felt her stomach twist up as Kara smiled at her with such warmth.

She turned and watched the raindrops roll down the window.

_Just do it. Just ask her._

She took a breath and was mustering up the courage to speak when the waiter came by to ask them if there was anything else they wanted. 

Lena noticed the salon had filled up and that there were several couples standing around, waiting for tables. And Kara was looking down at her hands.

_Damn it._

She signaled for Paul to take care of the bill. She’d have to find another time. 

———

It was still raining, so they decided to go back to the house for a bit before heading out for dinner and the ballet.

Juliette greeted them at the door. 

“There is tea upstairs in the living room if you ladies want to warm up. What a wet day.”

Lena thanked her. Like many mansions, the house was on the cool side, the cavernous spaces difficult to heat, the stone and marble cold to the touch, and she shivered as they walked up the staircase.

In the living room, the curtains were drawn, letting in the grey light. It was quiet, with just the gentle patter of rain against the windows. On one side of the room, there was a white sectional sofa and a coffee table where a tea service had been set up.

They sat down and Lena poured them both a cup. Kara gave Lena a small smile as she accepted hers, and Lena felt her nerves start up again. She tucked her legs under her and took a sip of tea. It warmed her to her bones, and she cradled the cup in her hands, taking a deep breath.

_It’s now or never._

“Kara, I…”

But Kara started speaking at the same time.

“Um, Lena, I need to tell you something.”

Lena went silent as Kara set her cup down on the coffee table, took off her glasses, and let down her hair, shaking it out so it lay in loose waves around her shoulders. 

Then she faced Lena and met her eyes. She said softly, “I’m from Krypton. My real name is Kara Zor-El, and I’m Supergirl.”

Deep down, Lena had known this was coming, but even so, she was unprepared. Kara looked different all of a sudden, her face less round, her features sharper, her eyes somehow bluer. It was astounding how much a pair of glasses could change a person’s appearance. 

Kara continued, nervously playing with her fingers. “You probably know already since you’ve been weird since yesterday, but… I, uh, put out the fire at Sainte-Chapelle. And… I didn’t go for a long run this morning; I got an emergency call and had to deal with some hostile aliens back in National City... But anyway, it feels _terrible_ lying to you, Lena, and I don’t want to do it anymore. I’m sorry.” Her lower lip quivered and she started tearing up. “I don’t know if it bothers you that I’m an alien but… at least you know the truth now and I… I hope you’re ok with it and we can still be friends. I... I can’t imagine life without you...”

She bowed her head as a tear ran down her cheek.

 _Friends_.

Setting that aside for now, Lena realized that she must have been acting so strangely due to her crush, it had driven Kara to out herself. What a mess. 

She put her cup down next to Kara’s, scooted over, and gave Kara a hug. Kara was tense - her back ramrod straight, her hands clenched, her breathing uneven as she tried to control her sobs - and as Lena held her, she felt enormous guilt for putting her in this situation.

She pulled back and tried to make eye contact, but Kara kept her gaze fixed on the floor. Lena’s heart sank and she reached over to take one of Kara’s hands in hers, saying, “Kara. Hey. Look at me? Please?”

Kara glanced up, her eyes red and brimming with tears.

Lena tried to sound reassuring. 

“Thank you for telling me. It doesn’t matter at all to me that you’re from Krypton. You’re... you, and,” her throat suddenly felt tight, “I will _always_ be your friend.”

Kara looked hopeful. “You’re not… mad?” she asked hesitantly.

Lena smiled warmly at her. “No. Not mad at all.”

Kara let out a breath and her shoulders relaxed. “That is so great to hear, Lena. I didn’t… I was afraid you’d hate me for lying to you... I know you don’t trust easily.”

Kara knew her all too well.

Lena ran her thumb across the back of Kara’s hand, trying to ignore how soft it felt.

“You’re right… I don’t. And I did suspect since the fire, but…” she bit her lip, “Kara, you believed in me when nobody else did. So I tried not to think about it. I felt like I owed you that, at least. And I could _never_ hate you.”

Kara cracked a watery smile. She tugged her hand loose to wipe her eyes. “Same. Ugh...” she said, sitting back, her voice still a little shaky, “I really wasn’t planning on any heroics this weekend. But the dispatch started talking about Sainte-Chapelle and I could hear the timbers creaking and didn’t think there was a lot of time…”

Lena processed for a moment. “Wait,” she said, “you speak French?”

Kara blushed. “Uh, _oui?_ I… speak most languages… they come easily to me.”

Lena was astonished. She knew Kara was smart, but was Kara actually a genius, hiding her intellect as well as her powers? Why had she spent so many years as an assistant? That might be something to ask about later.

“So this whole weekend,” Lena said, keeping her tone light, “I’ve been using my horrible French to order for us, and you’ve been sitting there, completely fluent?”

Kara looked at Lena bashfully. “Uh, maybe?”

Lena arched an eyebrow as she turned to pick up her cup. “You’re doing all the talking from now on, Kara.”

Kara grinned, flashing her perfect white teeth and tucking her hair behind her ear. She looked younger. Sportier.

 _Hotter_. 

Lena felt butterflies in her stomach again. But this was obviously not the time to confess her feelings. She didn’t even know if Kryptonian and human sexuality were similar or compatible. Maybe Kara was only attracted to other aliens. Maybe Kryptonians were asexual. She couldn’t assume anything.

She curled up again and sipped her tea, deep in thought. She had so many questions now. What had growing up on Krypton been like? What it was like to adjust to Earth? How fast could Kara move if she could fly to National City and back in two hours? How did her cells generate so much energy? How many calories did she need a day?

“Hey,” Kara was eyeing her. “I’m the same, you know... just with a different last name and some extra abilities.”

That was a hell of an understatement. 

Lena shook her head. “Kara, this isn’t like learning that you can juggle! You grew up light years from here! And you can _fly_ , and shoot laser beams out of your eyes… I’m in awe of your powers.”

A smirk played on Kara’s lips. “The scientist in you probably wants to lock me in a lab for a week and figure out how they work.”

That was… actually true. It would be the opportunity of a lifetime to research Kryptonian biology and determine if there were any applications for human health. Maybe they could discover something that could help people heal faster, or find a cure for muscular dystrophy, or restore vision... 

“I won’t deny that I am very curious,” Lena said honestly. “But I would never dream of studying you, Kara... unless you wanted me to?” 

She hoped she didn’t sound too eager. 

“I’ll think about it!” Kara said genuinely. “I have some questions of my own, and... I trust you, Lena.” Then she cleared her throat. “And it, uh, goes without saying, but… there aren’t many people who know who I am. _Please_ keep my secret. I can take care of myself, but there are people out there who might go after Alex and Eliza to get revenge on Supergirl.”

It hadn’t occurred to Lena before how, in addition to the many dangers Kara faced by putting herself in harm’s way as Supergirl, her family was living with this risk. 

“Of course, Kara. I promise,” she said, her voice filled with admiration. “It’s so noble of you to serve our city, and it’s the least I can do.”

Kara’s eyes clouded over and she made a face.

Lena immediately knew she had said something wrong. “What is it?” she asked, concerned.

Kara was quiet, furrowing her brow.

“I guess…” she finally said, “I don’t want you to think I’m Supergirl because I’m exceptionally noble. I’m not more noble than you or anybody else, just because I happen to be able to fly on this planet. I’m only doing what I think is right. And anyway… it’s more…” she sighed, “this is how I’ve made my peace with why I survived the destruction of Krypton and what I’m doing on Earth with all these random powers. Because there has to be some greater purpose...” 

Kara looked somber. It was the first time she had shared anything this raw, the first time Lena had ever seen her this way. 

Lena felt an overwhelming need to comfort her.

She set her tea down again and gently put a hand on Kara’s arm. “Hey. I’m sorry I assumed what your motivations were, Kara. And I… I’m sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through, but it’s incredible to me that you’ve not only survived, you’re out there doing so much good. And... for what it’s worth, even though it’s not the same as losing my entire world, I think I understand how you feel, at least a little bit.”

Kara looked up. “You do?”

Lena smiled sadly. “Kara, I… I live this life of immense privilege… but only because my mother drowned. She was everything to me, and then she was gone.” She paused to choose her words. These were thoughts she usually kept locked away, and they weren’t easy for her to talk about. “And now I’ve been given the keys to the kingdom, and I feel like I have to do something meaningful with all this money. And power. It’s a responsibility I didn’t earn or ask for. I’ve accepted my reality but some days I wonder what the hell I’m doing, and wish I could be… not a Luthor. And if that’s how it’s been for me… it must have been orders of magnitude harder for you...”

Kara seemed surprised.

“I never would have guessed, Lena. You seem like you were born to be a CEO - you seem so confident.”

That was not how Lena saw herself at all. 

“Yes, well… I have an image to keep up, and I know how to speak ‘executive’ and dress - or really, my stylist does. But inside, I’m a big nerd. I’d be so much happier in a lab.”

Kara said contemplatively, “We’re more alike than I thought, Lena.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, Kara,” Lena said, smiling at her. 

Then her inner clock warned her they might be running late, and she glanced at her watch and stood up. “We might need to start getting ready so we have time to get a quick dinner? Or more accurately,” she winked, “ _I_ need to start, I imagine it will only take you a few seconds?”

Kara laughed and stood up as well. “I might go eat something… I need a lot more food than you humans, and pre-dinner is the most important meal of the day!” 

She reached out and wrapped Lena in her arms. “And Lena, thank you for everything,” she said, her voice low and muffled in Lena’s hair. “You’re… the best.”

Kara smelled clean, like fresh laundry, and Lena’s heart beat a little faster from being held so tightly. 

“Thank you for trusting me, Kara,” she said simply, trying to keep her feelings from rushing to the surface. “I won’t let you down.”

Kara let go, smiled at her, and practically skipped out into the hall towards the kitchen.

Lena went back to her room to get ready. She pulled a little black dress out of the wardrobe and went to reapply her makeup and straighten her hair, as the rain had made it wavy. 

Her head was spinning.

So Kara was from Krypton.

It was as though Lena had been looking at a painting across a room, but had gotten closer and discovered it was actually a statue. 

She’d had glimpses of Kara’s depths, in her unwavering views about justice, and her desire to expose corruption and abuse of power as an investigative journalist. But overall, she had taken Kara’s sunniness at face value, and had assumed that Kara was innocent and a little naïve, someone who could never understand Lena’s own demons.

But now Lena could see it was the opposite; Kara had experienced pain and loss on a scale that dwarfed anything in Lena’s life. Yet she had emerged as the most optimistic and idealistic person Lena knew. 

It was inspiring, even for a cynic like her. 

And Lena found herself even more fascinated by Kara than ever before.


	6. Chapter 6 - E

Lionel had taken Lena to a performance of _the Nutcracker_ at the Palais Garnier on her first trip to Paris. They had returned many times, and the opera house had stayed with her in her dreams: the elaborate wedding cake façade with its ornate columns and statues, the spectacular atrium with its grand arches and dramatic marble staircase, lit by the honeyed glow of dozens of candelabra. 

Their box, which usually seated six, was in the center of the first tier. The usher unlocked the door, and they made their way through the narrow vestibule to take their seats in the front of the box. Paul sat down in the back and Etienne stood guard outside. Jess had worked with the house to buy out the other patrons so Lena could make a quick exit if necessary; security was always top of mind.

Kara seemed completely bowled over as she looked around, her eyes wide. The auditorium was all red and gold - the deep red of the velvet brocade seats and the lighter red satin of the boxes, the rich gold leaf covering almost every other available surface - and above them, there was an enormous chandelier and Chagall’s exuberant fresco celebrating opera and dance. 

“Wow. This place is insane! I’d seen pictures, but it’s something else to see it in person... I feel like a princess sitting here!”

Lena looked her over. Kara was wearing an elegant blue dress that hugged her athletic figure, her hair up in a twist. “I think all you’d need is a tiara, actually.”

It felt like they were back to normal, bantering with each other again.

“Me? No way,” Kara laughed. “But you must be used to all this fancy stuff, what with your glamorous life?”

Lena raised an eyebrow. “My glamorous life? Kara, I work all the time!”

Kara smirked. “Nah… according to CatCo’s gossip page, you’re always attending some gala or other with one of National City’s most eligible bachelors...”

Lena shook her head.

“Oh you. Don’t believe everything you read! I have a few organizations I support, but those galas are work, too. Networking. And trying to change the perception about my family and my company. Anyway, the guys who ask me out are usually having midlife crises. Things don’t ever go beyond a drink or two...”

Lena saw this might be an opportunity to learn how Kara thought about relationships. She leaned in and asked, so no one else could hear, “But… what about you? What was… courtship like where you... grew up?”

Kara gave her a conspiratorial smile, as though she was happy she could finally share more about herself. She said softly, “No dating, that’s for sure! Everything was arranged.”

Lena was intrigued. “Really? And would you have been ok with that?”

“Definitely. You would get paired up with the person who was most suitable for you. It’s really confusing here! You have to figure everything out yourself, and it’s _so_ undignified! Like, I do this thing where I fall for someone unattainable... Last year I had this huge, embarrassing crush on James - you know, from work. Even though he had a girlfriend. I even hit on him when I was… under the influence of… anyway, I’m embarrassed just thinking about it! But after we got together, it didn’t work. And now, I...” she bit her lip.

So Kara did go for humans. And Lena knew James Olsen from Metropolis days and Kara’s game nights. He was the epitome of an alpha male: tall, commanding, self-assured. And if that was Kara’s type, Lena realized unhappily, she didn’t stand a chance. 

She said smoothly, trying not to let her disappointment show, “It’s not so bad, though, is it? To have a choice?”

“Not if I’m not interested in any of the options! Did you know Mike asked me out?” Kara made a face. “Right before we left...”

The lights started to go down and the orchestra tuned their instruments. Kara stopped talking and sat up straight, elbowing Lena with excitement. 

But Lena felt numb as she pulled out her opera glasses from her clutch and put her program in her lap. If she’d heard correctly, Kara was open to - and even actively - dating. But in all the time they had known each other, Kara had never made a move or given any sign that she might want more than friendship.

So… that was that.

The conductor wended his way through the orchestra pit to polite applause, and the prelude started with the plaintive, melancholy strains of the oboe.

The ballet that evening was _Swan Lake_. 

Lena had seen it more times than she could count. And although she loved the music, and never missed an opportunity to see the Paris ballet company, she was a little blasé about watching yet another performance.

However, this time, she was drawn into the story of Siegfried, a prince, and Odette, a princess cursed to be a swan by day, only able to return to her human form at night. Siegfried had everything, yet knew there was something missing from his life. He and Odette crossed paths and fell in love, but of course, they could never be together. And at least in the Paris version, he died bereft, overpowered by evil.

Maybe, Lena thought darkly, it was her lot in life - like Siegfried’s - for love to be just beyond her grasp.

Only a handful of people had made it past her defenses, and Kara had been one of them. And now they were close enough for Kara to have shared her real identity. That trust could have been a good foundation for something deeper.

But of course nothing could come of it; she wasn’t Kara’s type.

Lena stole a glance at her friend. Kara looked ravishing in the dim light of the theater, watching the stage with shining eyes. She seemed transfixed by the dancing. 

Lena swallowed the lump in her throat. 

Kara looked over at her and smiled. She covered Lena’s hand with hers, squeezing it once before turning back to the stage.

Lena took a breath. Enough; she was being pathetic. She and Kara had a good thing going as friends and she should be grateful for that. She just needed to push down her feelings and move on.

———- 

The rain had stopped by the time they left the opera house.

Kara was quiet in the car on the way back.

Lena was quiet as well. The last thirty-six hours had been an emotional whirlwind - realizing she was falling for Kara, who was actually a powerful alien, but also that it was a non-starter - and she was exhausted. She wanted to have a drink to unwind and then go to sleep. 

At the foot of the staircase, she asked, “I’m going to have a nightcap on the roof… do you want one?”

“Uh, sure,” Kara said. She seemed lost in her own world.

They climbed the five flights up. “One of these days I’m going to install an elevator,” Lena said, a little out of breath, her feet hurting from her stilettos.

Kara was silent.

Once they were outside, Lena went to the bar and got out two glasses. “What do you want to drink?”

“Whatever you’re having,” Kara said distractedly as she walked over to the railing. 

Lena poured two whiskeys, came over to Kara, and handed her a glass. She took a few sips of hers and already felt more mellow.

“So,” she said lightly, “how did you like the ballet, Kara?” 

Kara came out of her reverie and set her glass down on the ledge. “Oh... it was… I don’t know. Tragic. Perfect. When the two of them danced together, I… I didn’t know love could be expressed like that. And the music was… I can't even begin to describe how beautiful it was. Thank you for inviting me, Lena. I’ll never forget tonight as long as I live.”

Her smile was dazzling.

Lena felt wistful all of a sudden. “Of course. I’m glad you enjoyed it, Kara.”

She turned to take in the view, trying to keep her emotions in check. 

The rain had given way to an unusually clear night, with a full moon. And the Eiffel Tower was illuminated, rising majestically from the foothills of the city below. Everything was as magical as Lena remembered.

Then Kara slowly brought her hand up and gently stroked Lena’s cheek with her fingertips. 

_What is happening?_

Lena looked over. Kara’s eyes were filled with such tenderness that her breath caught in her throat. 

Slowly Kara leaned in and gently pressed her lips to Lena’s. She smelled so sweet and her lips were so soft and suddenly Lena was kissing her back. She parted her lips and felt Kara’s tongue lick in, hot and wet. It felt so good that Lena let out an involuntary moan.

Kara abruptly pulled away. She looked mortified. “I… I’m sorry, Lena. I can’t believe I did that. I didn’t… I know we’re just friends and you don’t want... I… I’m...” 

Lena was in shock. Her entire body was tingling, her lips burning, longing for Kara’s touch.

She set her glass down and put her arms around Kara’s neck, saying softly, “Kara. It’s ok. Kiss me.”

She could feel Kara smiling against her mouth, then Kara’s hands on her waist, pulling her close. The lights of Paris twinkled all around them as they kissed under the starry night, the taste of whiskey on their lips.

Lena was a little surprised by how confident Kara was, dictating the rhythm of their movements, but she let herself be swept away. Kara’s tongue felt like steel wrapped in the softest velvet, insistent but gentle, dancing over her lips and teeth and tongue. Lena had never felt so intoxicated.

Then Kara nibbled along her jawline and started kissing and sucking at her neck, and Lena felt a current go through her. After so many months, the yearning to be physically intimate again was almost unbearable. 

“Kara,” she whispered, “take me to bed?”

Kara lifted her head and smiled. She winked at Lena as she picked her up, and in the blink of an eye, she carried her down the stairs and into her room. 

Lena was breathless at the display of speed and strength. 

Kara kicked the door shut behind them and brought Lena over to the bed. She kissed her hungrily as she reached behind her to undo the zipper of her dress, which slid off and puddled on the floor. Then she unclipped Lena’s bra, letting it fall, and helped her step out of her heels.

Kara brushed her lips against Lena’s forehead and said, her voice catching, “God, Lena, you’re so beautiful…” She easily lifted Lena onto the bed. 

The silver light of the moon was just enough to see by. Lena pulled back the duvet, sliding in between the sheets, and sat back against the pillows, holding her breath, as Kara undressed. Kara’s shoulders were broad, her breasts small, her waist narrow. She was all lean muscle, such a contrast to Lena’s own soft curves. And somehow, this goddess, who was Kara, wanted her. 

Kara took her hair down and put her glasses on the nightstand. She climbed on the bed, settling on top of Lena, and leaned down to capture Lena’s mouth again, plunging her tongue deep inside. As they kissed, Lena ran both hands over Kara’s back and marveled at how strong and solid her body was. And the way Kara moved against her, pressing her down into the bed, made Lena feel small and protected.

Then Kara cupped one of Lena’s breasts, swiping a thumb over her nipple. 

Despite being so turned on, Lena tensed. 

“Hey, is this ok?” Kara asked, looking down at her, concerned.

Lena swallowed. She suddenly felt vulnerable. 

“I’m just… I’m nervous. It’s been a while.”

Kara sat up. “Don’t be nervous, Lena… we can go slow? Let me take care of you,” she said gently.

Lena nodded and closed her eyes. She felt Kara trace down her face and neck and collarbone with light strokes, skimming down her arms, her sides, her thighs, her calves. Kara seemed to caress and suck on every part of Lena’s body - except her breasts and her now aching core - all while telling her how perfect she was. With her eyes shut, Lena’s other senses were heightened. Each stroke felt deliberate, like Kara was slowly painting her with a fine brush. Lena felt like she was on fire. 

“Kara... I need more,” she groaned. 

Lena felt the tickle of Kara’s hair on her breasts, and then one of her nipples was bathed in wet warmth as Kara took it in her mouth. She scraped her teeth against the nub and Lena felt a shockwave run down to her clit, making her gasp. Kara alternated between breasts, soothing Lena’s nipples with her tongue, biting them gently, toying with them with her fingers, until they were as hard as diamonds and Lena was writhing on top of the bed, the tingling driving her out of her mind. 

“Kara… please fuck me...” She was ready now; she knew she was soaking.

Kara responded by ripping Lena’s panties off and lifting Lena’s legs over her shoulders. Then Lena felt the flat of Kara’s tongue lick up her slit and into her wet heat. She almost wept at how amazing it felt. Kara took her time, nibbling and sucking and teasing Lena’s lips, then slowly thrusting into her with her tongue. Finally, she started to firmly lick the underside of Lena’s clit while using two fingers to fuck her in the same steady rhythm. It was wet and precise and Lena was going mad with pleasure, every stroke building up to that singularity. She was soon at the edge, ready to flow into bliss, when Kara suddenly stopped, making that exquisite peak slip away into the fog.

Lena felt frantic. “Kara, please. Touch me…” she begged.

Her clit was hard and needy in Kara’s mouth. But Kara pulled away and Lena felt two strong hands hold her quivering thighs apart. She struggled to close her legs, dying for more contact, more friction, more anything. 

She opened her eyes, bewildered, and found Kara smiling up at her from between her legs. 

“Please, Kara... I need to come...” 

Kara crawled up her body and kissed her. Her eyes were dark pools and she said softly, her voice rough with lust, “I know, Lena… but you taste so good and I don’t want this to end just yet. Can we keep going? I promise it’ll be worth it...”

Lena was so wound up she felt like she was on the brink of insanity, but somehow she couldn’t bring herself to say no. She was already addicted to the way Kara touched her, the way Kara was making her feel. And a part of her was enjoying not being in charge for once.

She took a shaky breath and looked up and nodded. 

Kara smiled and kissed her, and moved back down her body.

Lena felt Kara push her legs open and spread her lips apart. It felt a little filthy being exposed like this, with her clit throbbing in front of her, awaiting whatever Kara wanted to do to her. 

All of a sudden, she felt a stream of icy air blow over her engorged nub. The sharp sting was the complete opposite of the touch she needed.

She cried out in despair.

But then she felt Kara’s fingers glide up and down her wet folds and back inside her, and Kara’s hot mouth envelop her. She was so sensitive now, and the pleasure was so overwhelming, she couldn’t keep her body from convulsing.

Kara began to swirl her tongue around Lena’s clit as she crooked her fingers up against Lena’s front wall. It felt to Lena like her g-spot was the center of a pulsating star, all the nerves in her body converging on that single point and firing in sync. Her breathing became shallower and the tension in her core twisted tighter and tighter until she was ready to shatter into a million pieces. She was just about to tip into nirvana when Kara braced her open again. 

Lena felt the ground fall out from under her. She fisted the sheets, trying to get enough purchase to push her pelvis up towards Kara’s mouth, which was hovering just out of reach. But Kara kept her still, and Lena collapsed back against the mattress, tearing up in frustration, her arousal draining away.

“Please…”

She could barely get the word out.

Kara lightly caressed her inner thighs, saying softly, “You’re doing so well, Lena…”

Lena couldn’t breathe as she felt Kara’s tongue lick into her again.

After a few more cycles of this agony, Lena felt like her body had dissolved. All the energy in the universe was flowing through her core, pushing and pulling, waxing and waning. She had never been so wet, or so desperate for release, unable to do anything but whimper as Kara continued to take her to the precipice and back.

Then Lena felt Kara shift slightly. She started fucking Lena hard, forcefully stimulating her g-spot. At the same time, she sucked on Lena’s clit while lashing the swollen nub back and forth with her tongue. It was exactly what Lena needed and she prayed that Kara wouldn’t deny her this time. The pressure inside her began to bear down like a tsunami, starting slowly but picking up speed, its momentum unstoppable as it raced towards shore, her body tensing and straining against itself until it curved up like a bow and everything finally snapped, ecstasy flooding her as she came hard, over and over again, waves crashing one after another, radiating from deep in her core and sweeping out past the tips of her fingers and toes for what felt like days.

Then the waves slowly began to recede and she came back to herself. Kara’s fingers kept stroking inside her until the spasms grew weaker and finally stopped.

It was easily the best and longest orgasm - orgasms? - Lena had ever had. Her heart was pounding in her ears, her body felt loose and boneless. Her mind was floating off into space. She had never been one to lose herself in sex, as she was normally unable to silence her mind. But being edged like that had crowded out all thought. She felt empty in the best possible way.

Kara crawled up and kissed her softly, then rolled off to the side, reaching a hand down to touch herself. She was breathing heavily, obviously close.

Lena could barely move but she tried to sit up so she could help.

“Kara, let me…”

“No…” Kara gasped, her eyes closed. Her muscles strained as she rubbed herself, then she shuddered silently as she came.

Even in her post-orgasmic haze, Lena was mystified. It felt unfairly perfunctory after Kara had spent all that time working her up.

Kara opened her eyes. She smiled and sat up and pulled the duvet over them. 

“Ok if I’m the big spoon?”

“Uh, sure.”

Kara shuffled Lena towards her and snuggled her from behind. She sighed contentedly and kissed Lena’s neck.

“Kara?” Lena whispered into the darkness.

“Yes?” 

“That was incredible, and thank you, but… can’t I… don’t you want me to touch you?”

“It’s ok,” Kara said sleepily. “I… I don’t want… well, I need to stay in control of myself so I don’t accidentally hurt you.”

Lena preferred things to be more equal and wondered if there were any way to dampen Kara’s powers temporarily. But she was hardly in a place to think about anything and filed the idea away for later.

“Ok,” she said quietly. 

Kara yawned.

“Maybe we could just… sleep? We can talk in the morning?”

She hugged Lena tightly.

It felt good to have Kara’s warm, solid body against hers. Kara’s breath lightly tickled her neck, and Lena drifted off into nothingness.


	7. Chapter 7

Lena woke up slowly, her body warm and heavy with sleep. Birds were chirping in the garden and the room was already bright.

She blinked her eyes open to find Kara watching her, smiling gently.

Last night hadn’t been a dream then. She had slept with her best friend.

And it had been mind-blowing. 

Where had Kara had learned to fuck like that?

“Hey, sleepyhead,” Kara said softly, her blue eyes shining, her blonde hair spilling over the pillow, her skin flawless in the soft morning light. She was beautiful in a girl-next-door kind of way, effortless and natural. 

“Hey,” Lena croaked, feeling self-conscious. “Do you always stare at people until they wake up?”

Kara smirked. “If they’re as gorgeous as you are, then yes.”

Lena rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Who was this Kara, so flirtatious first thing in the morning? 

“Flatterer.”

“Mmmm, I don’t think so.”

Kara reached over and stroked Lena’s cheek with her fingertips. Like the previous night, the gesture held such affection, Lena felt a little overwhelmed.

She looked down, but Kara’s fingers lazily traced up to the shell of her ear, down her neck and shoulder, then back up to her chin, and tipped it up.

Their eyes met and Kara winked at her.

“So you’re not straight then.”

Lena laughed. Kara always knew what to say to lighten the mood.

“Uh, no… I don’t have a preference.” Lena sat up and stretched, then pulled the sheet up around her chest. “But... I grew up knowing I shouldn’t embarrass the family, and being with a girl would have been frowned upon, so I just assumed I would end up with a guy. And I haven’t dated that much anyway - I was gawky and three years younger than everybody at MIT, then focused on my startup, and then I got together with my ex. But clearly,” she said wryly, “I’ve been missing out.”

Kara grinned and sat up as well, propping herself up against the headboard and turning towards Lena. “I’ve been missing out too... I‘ve had a crush on you since the day we met.”

That was unexpected. All this time, Kara had wanted more?

“You have? Why didn’t you say something?”

Kara rolled her eyes. 

“Well, obviously I thought you were straight! But even if I’d known you weren’t...” she bit her lip, “You’re incredibly intimidating, you know that, right? You’re the smartest person I know, and you’re kind, and funny, and sophisticated, and beautiful...” She shrugged. “People like me get coffee for people like you, Lena. Being friends is one thing, but I never dreamed you’d want to date me.”

Lena had the good grace to blush. 

“But on top of all that,” Kara continued, her voice turning serious, “I didn’t know what you’d think about me being an alien. Ever since I came here, it felt like a liability, something to hide. Even now, Supergirl is a character I play, because I’m still hiding. And it’s been… lonely. But yesterday, you seemed to accept me, and then… there was _Swan Lake._ ” 

She looked up at Lena. “This probably isn’t how everybody interprets it, but I was thinking about how maybe the prince fell in love with the swan _because_ she wasn’t human, because she was different. And I thought, maybe there is hope for me; maybe somebody out there could see me that way. And then you were standing there, the woman of my dreams, and I…” She blushed, saying sincerely, “Thank you for last night, Lena. I don’t know if this is a one-time thing for you and you want to stay friends, or if… if you want to see where this could go, but I am grateful regardless.”

Kara gave her a shy smile, and Lena melted. 

Before this weekend, Lena would never have described Kara as lonely. She had envied Kara’s easy way with people, the opposite of her own wariness. Kara was well-liked, even popular, surrounded by friends and colleagues who adored her. She hadn’t seemed to need much else.

But really, they were both just two lonely souls, afraid to trust anybody. Lena was selfishly thankful for Sainte-Chapelle burning exactly when it did, because if not for that, would Kara ever have opened up about any of this? 

She leaned over and kissed Kara on the cheek. 

“Last night was special for me too. I… I don’t know why I had blinders on before... I never saw _you_ , Kara, not the way I do now. And,” she added softly, “I want to be with you.”

The corners of Kara’s eyes crinkled. She seemed relieved. 

“Oh, good. Uh…” she asked eagerly, “Can I take you out for dinner when we get home? We kind of did this out of order…”

Lena smiled to herself. There was something so decent about Kara, that even after she had thoroughly explored every inch of Lena’s body, after she had eaten her out for the better part of an hour, she still wanted to go on a proper date.

It also reminded Lena that she hadn’t been able to reciprocate.

“I’d like that, Kara,” she answered warmly. “Also... I wanted to ask you something.”

“What?”

Lena picked up Kara’s hand, playing with her fingers. “It’s fine if you say no. But… would you be ok if I tried to find a way to touch you? I want to make you feel good, too, Kara. It’s important to me… but I also understand if you’re not comfortable.”

Kara looked down at their hands for a long time, and Lena didn’t know if she had overstepped.

But then Kara said quietly, “Just a week ago, I was thinking about having sex with someone only because I knew they could handle my strength. And it made me feel… gross. And sad. Because it seemed like it would be next to impossible to find someone I was into but also physically compatible with - I thought I would just have to choose. And I was coming to terms with that…” 

Then she shook her head, amazed, and turned to Lena, “...but I guess dating a genius has its perks. Thank you, Lena. This means more to me than I can say.” 

She reached up and cupped Lena’s face in her hands, softly brushing her lips against Lena’s and kissing her slowly. It felt calm and unhurried, and to Lena, somehow more intimate than anything they had done the night before. 

Then Kara pulled back and said hopefully, “Uh... do you want to cuddle?” 

The most powerful being on the planet wanted to _cuddle._

“Yes of course,” Lena said, amused. “But shouldn't we go down for breakfast? You must be ravenous?”

“Oh, I woke up early and got something to eat already. Let’s just enjoy this moment? I want to hold you...” 

Kara slid an arm around Lena, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head. They fit together comfortably, their breathing synchronizing. The duvet was soft and fluffy, and the gossamer curtains rippled in the windows from the occasional breeze. 

Lena nestled down into Kara’s chest and absentmindedly ran her fingers over Kara’s abs.

Kara shifted a little, and Lena could feel her rock-hard muscles tensing beneath her smooth skin.

“Hey, that tickles,” Kara mumbled.

That piqued Lena’s interest.

Why would Kara be ticklish? She obviously didn’t feel pain the same way humans did; she could deflect bullets and stop a truck barrelling towards her at full speed. Shouldn’t she be less sensitive, not more? 

“What about this?” Lena firmly stroked Kara’s side.

Kara squirmed away. “Yes! Tickles!” 

Lena lightened her touch. “How about this?” 

“Also tickles!” Kara said through gritted teeth. 

Perhaps, Lena mused, the receptors of Kara’s nervous system had different threshold potentials. Or maybe, the anterolateral pathway or somatosensory cortex were different in how they transmitted or processed pain and touch, that is, if Kara’s biology were similar…

“Interesting. What about...” Lena barely skimmed her fingertips over Kara’s skin.

Kara grabbed Lena’s wrist. “Hey. Lena. Could you please stop that?”

Lena looked up at Kara and arched an eyebrow.

“Don’t tell me the Girl of Steel has a weakness other than Kryptonite,” she teased. 

Kara‘s eyes narrowed. All of a sudden, she flipped them over so she was on top, pressing Lena’s wrists into the pillow, smiling down at her.

Lena’s heart started pounding at the abruptness of the move.

“I don’t know if I would call my being ticklish a _weakness,_ per se,” Kara said, nuzzling Lena’s neck. “It’s only a weakness if someone can exploit it… and I’m not convinced that you or anybody else can.”

She sucked at the delicate skin just under Lena’s jawline, making her shiver.

“But, you’re welcome to try,” Kara said into her ear, low and dangerous. “I might not make it easy for you though; I have some other plans for you now...”

She kissed Lena hard on the mouth, almost bruising her lips. 

This Kara - playful, sexy, dominant - made something stir deep inside Lena’s core. Lena closed her eyes and exhaled, preparing to be edged again within an inch of her life.

———-

Later, after dinner, after she had said goodbye to Paul, Etienne, Juliette, and the rest of her staff, Lena was taking a final turn in the garden, waiting for Kara, who had ducked upstairs to get a book she had forgotten.

Jean was pulling the car around and Derek was talking into his earpiece, confirming arrangements with the flight crew; they would take off in an hour. 

The sun was setting and the limestone of the uppermost floors of the house glowed pinkish-orange, the rest of it cast in shadow, the windows like columns of light. 

Like at the end of any great trip, Lena felt a little melancholy. And this time she was feeling especially so, because the rest of their time in Paris had been so perfect.

She and Kara had spent another hour in bed, and after a very late breakfast, walked all the way from the Louvre to the Musée de l’Orangerie, Paul and Etienne following a few paces behind. The chestnut trees had been flowering, and the sky had been a brilliant blue. Everything had seemed more vibrant, more alive.

Kara had wanted to see Monet’s monumental _Water Lilies,_ explaining why as they strolled down the gravel paths of the Tuileries, past the statues and the immaculately tended flower beds of the vast formal garden.

“They were the last paintings he ever did. He painted this one pond in his garden something like two hundred and fifty times over thirty years. Even after he got cataracts. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to find something so enchanting that you want to capture it again and again, watching it change with the light, with the seasons, with the years…”

Then she had stopped and bent her head down to kiss Lena, whose heart had overflowed. 

The whole day had been like this, a series of blissful, romantic moments. And Lena was completely smitten.

She was hopeful that what she and Kara had was the real thing, even though it was new. And she wished she could shelter it for a while, like a tender flower in a greenhouse. But the real world awaited.

They had a few things to figure out, like how to handle the media, so that breathless gossip about her personal life didn’t cut into the gravitas she needed to project, and overshadow everything she was trying to do at L-Corp. She supposed they needed to lie low until the paparazzi and the public decided that she and Kara were actually quite boring and not worth following around. And she would have to change up her security arrangements so Kara could get in and out of her apartment as Supergirl without anybody noticing. 

But the more difficult question was, when were they actually going to see each other? 

Lena knew that as soon as they touched down in National City, she would be thrown back into her responsibilities at L-Corp: driving her strategy, monitoring financial and operational performance, making media appearances, managing the board. She felt energized and capable of tackling everything, but she also expected to spend a lot of late nights and weekends at the office.

There was a chill in the air, and she pulled her jacket around her tightly as she came back to the portico.

Suddenly she had a memory of Lionel in a dark suit with his arms crossed, waiting in the courtyard for her at the end of their trips. When she would emerge from the house, he would always put his hand on her shoulder and take a final look around before getting in the car. Then they would ride to the airport in silence.

She wondered, had he felt melancholy too, leaving this glorious city to go back to work? Had he ever craved more time for himself, more time with her? 

The reality was that she had rarely seen him outside these annual holidays. He had been so wrapped up in the company he had founded, away on business trips or shut up in his office, talking on the phone late into the night, a bottle of whiskey on his desk. By the time she was a teenager and away for most of the year at boarding school, they didn’t speak much, except about LuthorCorp and investing.

And now she had stepped into his shoes as CEO, and she knew she was just as much of a workaholic as he had been. 

It was a sobering thought. Although she had loved and admired him, she didn’t want her life to turn out like his: one-dimensional, devoid of richness and connection.

Kara came out to the portico, comfortable in a hoodie and jeans, her hair in a messy bun. She was holding her book and a small box tied with an elegant ribbon. 

“Hey! Juliette gave me some macarons for the road! Wasn’t that nice of her? Uh… are you ok, Lena?”

Lena realized she had been frowning. She quickly put on a smile and said, “Yes, I’m fine. Ready to go?” 

Kara put a hand on her arm and stopped her from heading back inside. “Are you sure? You looked sad.”

Her eyes were kind, and Lena felt permission to unburden herself. 

“Well, I…” she said softly. “I had a really nice weekend here. With you.”

“Me too. The best!” Kara said. “But... what’s bothering you?”

Lena sighed.

“Just... how different things will be when we get back. The tabloids and gossip sites are going to be all over us, especially because I’m not out. But more than that…” she looked at Kara helplessly. “Kara, I don’t want to mess this up, but I work a lot… and we may not be able to see each other as much as I would like. And I know it’s on me to prioritize life outside of work, but that’s never been easy for me.”

Kara took her hand and said gently, “Hey. I know how you feel. I have a hard time turning off too; I didn’t succeed this weekend. But… you did, Lena. And,” she winked, “somehow L-Corp is still standing.”

“True,” Lena said dryly. 

Kara grinned. “Look, I think we just need to find some routines that work for us. I would like to see you more than once every week or two. But I also work a fair amount and my other job isn’t exactly predictable, and I don’t expect to see you all the time. Maybe we could try to meet for dinner a couple nights a week and spend more time together on the weekends? Or we could work from my place some nights, or I could come to yours?”

In the evenings, Lena usually worked until seven-thirty, then had a business dinner, then late meetings with her Asia-Pac teams. And the weekends were when she caught up on everything, as well as had space to think more strategically and talk in depth with her executive team and board. 

She raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You make it sound so easy, Kara.”

Kara looked at her, curious. “Isn’t it, though? What would happen if you didn’t work as much, Lena?”

It was such a simple question, but one that Lena had never asked herself. She looked through the colonnade at the garden, thinking of all the energy it took to maintain it, to tame nature, to fight entropy. 

“Things would… fall apart…”

Kara said quietly, “Would they? I’ve had to learn as Supergirl that I can’t save everyone. Lena, you can take time for yourself and things will be just fine. But... I don’t think you quite believe it. And as long as you don’t, you’ll keep finding ways to fill the time with stuff that seems more urgent.”

Lena felt herself tearing up as Kara’s honest words started to register. There was so much here, from her guilt that she hadn’t acted when her mother was drowning, to how she had pushed herself to excel at everything in an attempt to win Lex’s approval, to wanting to be a successful entrepreneur like her father and how disappointed she had been when her startup had failed, and she had thought, if she had just spent less time fucking Jack and more working on the technology, would they have made it?

She wasn’t an optimist, like Kara. She didn’t believe that things would turn out ‘just fine.’ Her mind was always scanning the horizon for threats, or trying to see far into the future to predict what could go wrong. It was draining to constantly be on high alert. 

But if she didn’t pay attention, if she didn’t do everything she could, she would fail, and she couldn’t let that happen. Because it would confirm, yet again, that she wasn’t good enough. Not even good enough for her own father to acknowledge her.

Lena swallowed hard and looked down at her feet, trying not to cry, feeling stripped back to that little girl who had been so desperate to be loved. 

She felt Kara wrap her up in a bear hug, warm and comforting. 

“Hey. I didn’t mean to upset you. What I meant to say was... I know you’re on a mission to turn L-Corp around, and I admire how hard you work. But you also put so much pressure on yourself and you run yourself ragged, and I worry about you. And I guess, even if the worst happens - even if everything falls apart - it’ll be ok, Lena. You’ll find another way, or maybe you’ll find yourself on a different path. And I’ll still adore you no matter what.”

Kara gently kissed Lena’s forehead.

Lena had never felt supported like this before. She buried her face in the crook of Kara’s neck and let the tears fall. It was cathartic to cry, to release the fear and inadequacy that had been bottled up inside her for years, while Kara held her like she would never let her go. 

After Lena calmed down, she took a deep breath, pulled back, and wiped her eyes. She said, her voice low, “Kara... thank you. I’m so, so thankful you’re in my corner. And you’re right… I’ve never _not_ been trying to control things so I don’t actually know what will happen if I let up.”

Kara looked thoughtful. “Can we try something small when we get back? Let me bring you dinner every night this week. I’ll keep it to a half-hour and I can figure things out with Jess. Think of it like an experiment. Ok?”

Experimenting sounded good to Lena; maybe she could run this like a dosing study and titrate just how much time she could take for herself without feeling like things would spin completely out of control. 

“Ok,” she smiled. She suddenly felt lighter, knowing they had a plan.

“Great,” Kara said happily. Then she blanched. “Uh… actually, can you tell Jess this is something you want to do? She won’t believe me, and I, um...” she gulped, “don’t want to face her wrath.” 

Kara looked genuinely nervous, and Lena laughed. Jess would have her work cut out for her, trying to rejigger everything. “Oh, I don’t want to either... I’ll probably have to give her a raise. But yes, I will let her know.”

Kara smiled with relief.

The portico was now almost dark, and the garden was purple and grey in the twilight. Derek came up to them, his footsteps echoing on the stone. He coughed. “Ms. Luthor, Ms. Danvers. There’s no rush, but we’re ready whenever you are.”

Lena thanked him, and slipped her hand into Kara’s, still feeling a little tender. They followed him through the house and got into the waiting car. 

As they turned out of the courtyard, Lena looked out the window at all the elegant buildings, amazed as always by the sheer beauty of the city. It had been an unforgettable weekend, and she wished she and Kara could spend more time here together. Maybe she should just plan to take more vacation.

“Hey, Lena?” Kara asked with her mouth full.

Lena turned and noticed that the macaron box on Kara’s lap was already half empty. She couldn't help but break into a smile.

“Yes?”

“Uh… could we come back to Paris sometime? Like the next time you need a break?” Kara offered Lena the box. “You seem to be able to relax here, and I’d be so excited to explore some more with you - go to some more museums, eat more pastries…”

It was as though Kara had read her mind. “I’d love that,” Lena said, delighted, picking out a macaron.

She sat back and nibbled on it, thinking about when she and Kara might visit next. Another long weekend could be fun in a couple months, although the summer could be brutally hot and they might want to go to the Alps instead. Or maybe she could surprise Kara the next time she published a big story. And in the fall, there was the opening night of the ballet season, or maybe they could take a real vacation for a week or two over Christmas...

Really, they could come back, whenever they wanted, to this beloved city, where they had somehow found each other.

They would always have Paris.


End file.
